VIPERLAB: EU project aims to boost perovskite solar industry in Europe

</p> <p>VIPERLAB is funded under the European Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 (Grant No 101006715).</p> <p>

VIPERLAB is funded under the European Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 (Grant No 101006715).

HZB runs state-of-the-art laboratories (here HySPRINT) to advance research on perovskite solar cells.

HZB runs state-of-the-art laboratories (here HySPRINT) to advance research on perovskite solar cells. © P. Dera / HZB

Also the EMIL lab at HZB will host VIPERLAB projects.

Also the EMIL lab at HZB will host VIPERLAB projects. © S. Grunze/HZB

The HZB is coordinating a major European collaborative project to open up new opportunities for the European solar industry. The VIPERLAB project involves 15 renowned research institutions from Europe, as well as Switzerland and Great Britain. It will be funded within the framework of the EU's Horizon 2020 programme for the next three and a half years with a total of 5.5 million euros, from which the HZB will receive just under 840,000 euros. 

Perovskite semiconductors enable extremely cheap and powerful solar cells. Many research results on this class of materials are obtained in European laboratories. For example, working groups at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB) have already achieved several world records with perovskite solar cells. Now the HZB is coordinating a major European collaborative project to open up new opportunities for the European solar industry.

VIPERLAB stands for „Fully connected virtual and physical perovskite photovoltaics Lab“. With VIPERLAB, the participating research institutions want to accelerate the development of perovskite PV technology in Europe and promote technology transfer to industry. To this end, they want to establish a close dialogue with the emerging perovskite industry in Europe, both with the help of new initiatives and with more established players such as the European solar industry association Solar Power Europe.

The participating institutions are among the best in European perovskite research. Within VIPERLAB, they will facilitate access to their laboratories and infrastructures so that research teams from public institutions or industry can work with the optimal equipment and methods. A database on materials and building elements will also be established, incorporating information on long-term performance and environmental and economic impacts. This database will enable evidence-based commercial and policy decisions.

Through close collaboration and tailor-made research services, VIPERLAB aims to give European industry a knowledge edge along the entire value chain.

VIPERLAB is funded under the European Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 (No 101006715).

arö

  • Copy link

You might also be interested in

  • How carbonates influence CO2-to-fuel conversion
    Science Highlight
    25.11.2025
    How carbonates influence CO2-to-fuel conversion
    Researchers from the Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin (HZB) and the Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society (FHI) have uncovered how carbonate molecules affect the conversion of CO2 into valuable fuels on gold electrocatalysts. Their findings reveal key molecular mechanisms in CO2 electrocatalysis and hydrogen evolution, pointing to new strategies for improving energy efficiency and reaction selectivity.

  • Peat as a sustainable precursor for fuel cell catalyst materials
    Science Highlight
    25.11.2025
    Peat as a sustainable precursor for fuel cell catalyst materials
    Iron-nitrogen-carbon catalysts have the potential to replace the more expensive platinum catalysts currently used in fuel cells. This is shown by a study conducted by researchers from the Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin (HZB), Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) and universities in Tartu and Tallinn, Estonia. At BESSY II, the team observed the formation of complex microstructures within various samples. They then analysed which structural parameters were particularly important for fostering the preferred electrochemical reactions. The raw material for such catalysts is well decomposed peat.
  • Susanne Nies appointed to EU advisory group on Green Deal
    News
    12.11.2025
    Susanne Nies appointed to EU advisory group on Green Deal
    Dr. Susanne Nies heads the Green Deal Ukraina project at HZB, which aims to support the development of a sustainable energy system in Ukraine. The energy expert has now also been appointed to the European Commission's scientific advisory group to comment on regulatory burdens in connection with the net-zero target (DG GROW).